Printing apparatus and correction data generating method
AssigneeNoritsu Koki Co., Ltd.
InventorsTatsuji Goma, Yoshiyuki Nakatani, Takeshi Nishihara
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Abstract
A printing apparatus for measuring proper density and generating correction data with high accuracy by eliminating influences of adjoining areas. A plurality of scanning coordinates SAx are set to a middle position in a primary scanning direction of each of pixel lines Q on a test chart. Scanning areas SA are set to positions where the scanning coordinates SAx intersect scanning coordinates SAy indicating numerous positions in a secondary scanning direction of the pixel lines Q. Density data of the scanning areas SA is averaged to generate correction data for updating a correction table.
Claims6
A printing apparatus comprising:
- an exposing head comprising a plurality of light control elements arranged in a primary scanning direction, said exposing head and a photosensitive material being movable relative to each other in a secondary scanning direction perpendicular to said primary scanning direction, said light control elements being controllable, during the relative movement of said exposing head and said photosensitive material, based on set exposure data to generate a test chart;
- a scanner for scanning said test chart to acquire scanning data;
- and
- a correction data generating means for setting correction data to said light control elements based on said scanning data;
- wherein said scanner has a resolution capable of acquiring density of a plurality of areas formed by dividing, in the primary scanning direction, each of pixel lines on said test chart corresponding to the respective light control elements;
- wherein said correction data generating means performs:
- a pixel identifying process for identifying said pixel lines corresponding to said light control elements from said scanning data;
- a density data acquiring process for acquiring density data of a plurality of areas adjacent a middle position in the primary scanning direction of each of the pixel lines, among the plurality of areas arranged in the primary scanning direction for each of the pixel lines identified in said pixel identifying process;
- and
- a correction data generating process for generating said correction data based on the density data acquired in said density data acquiring process.
A correction data generating method for use in a printing apparatus with an exposing head having a plurality of light control elements arranged in a primary scanning direction, moving said exposing head and a photosensitive material relative to each other in a secondary scanning direction perpendicular to said primary scanning direction, generating a test chart by controlling each of the light control elements of said exposing head, during the relative movement of said exposing head and said photosensitive material, based on set exposure data, and setting correction data to each said light control element from scanning data acquired by scanning the test chart with a scanner;
- wherein said scanner has a resolution capable of acquiring density of a plurality of areas formed by dividing, in the primary scanning direction, each of pixel lines on said test chart corresponding to the respective light control elements;
- said method comprising the steps of:
- identifying said pixel lines corresponding to said light control elements from said test chart acquired with said scanner;
- acquiring density data of a plurality of areas adjacent a middle position in the primary scanning direction of each of the pixel lines, among the plurality of areas arranged in the primary scanning direction of each of the pixel lines identified in the step of identifying said pixel lines;
- and
- generating said correction data based on the density data determined in the step of acquiring density data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.